Wasabi Japonica Grown Under GE LED Grow Lights

The “Hardest to Grow” Plant in the World

The Opportunity

Wasabi Japonica is widely accredited as the “hardest to grow” plant in the world. The plants are native to Japan and require a very specific set of environmental conditions to successfully produce healthy plants.

Wasabi is most commonly associated with Japanese food, where it is used as a unique spice and as a condiment on sushi, but many are now learning of its secondary metabolites that possess distinct health benefits including significant anti-cancer and antimicrobial properties. Unfortunately, few growers outside of Japan have successfully grown Wasabi Japonica commercially. This has led not only to a high global demand for fresh grown product, but also to an increasing amount of interest from commercial growers trying to tap into a market that now pays an estimated $325/£250 per kilo of rhizome.

The Possibilities and the Challenges

Successful field cultivation is difficult because of the specific parameters required for growth over a relatively long harvest period of up to 2 years. Wasabi is also highly susceptible to pests and disease. Although resistant strains are available in Asia, the West is restricted to two main varieties: Mazuma and Daruma. Vegetative propagation can be successful for F1 generations, but thereafter, endogenous fungal infection leads to poor yields and major crop loss. Therefore, it is important to grow from clean stock produced under controlled environmental conditions.

A small startup in Scotland called The Functional Plant Company is currently working with LED grow lights from GE Current, a Daintree company to grow wasabi. The Functional Plant Company is using a variety of hydroponic and micropropagation techniques to produce plantlets from tissue culture through to acclimation and eventually full maturity. They are proving that light intensity and spectrum are equally important factors in establishing new cuticle and stomatal development. Their aim to prove this can become more efficient and faster by using GE LED battens as compared to natural daylight.

Finding Success with LED Grow Lights

Trials show the plants have established good root production using the Arize Lynk LED Grow Lights at 60umols/m2/s, although they noted the leaf canopy growth is slower and darker than when using TLEDs at equal intensity. The Functional Plant Company added that interesting results also arose when trying other spectrums of the Arize LED grow lights. They have noted a darker callus at higher light levels with high percentage of red light, while lower intensity prevents leaf burn and dehydration during early acclimation.

They concluded by noting that the Arize LED grow lights are very energy efficient, generating little heat—which is perfect for Wasabi as even a small temperature increase can cause wilt and plant loss.

Contact Hort Americas if you are looking to learn more about using the Current LED grow lights to produce crops grown in tissue culture and micropropagation facilities.

GERMANY: February 12-14, Wageningen Lighting In Greenhouses And Vertical Farms 2020

Do you want to improve the use of LED lighting in greenhouse production or vertical farming? Would you like to know how to reduce energy use and carbon foot print, how to improve production, or how to improve quality? Do you want to understand the different characteristics of light and how they affect physiological plant processes? Then this course might be valuable for you.

In this course on lighting in greenhouses and vertical farms Wageningen UR scientists will share their unique knowledge with international students, researchers, and horticultural and light experts.

For whom?
This intensive course is meant for professionals in lighting, greenhouse production and vertical farms as well as MSc and PhD students, post-docs and junior scientists from all over the world.

Course objectives
The aim of this course is to learn the basic principles behind the effects of LED lighting on plant growth, yield, product quality, and energy use efficiency. It aims that participants also understand how to apply this information in their daily practice by developing strategies to optimize the use of lighting in relation to the whole production system.

Learning outcomes
This course gives participants an in-depth view on:

• Perception of light by plants

• Major plant physiological and morphological processes affected by light

• How lighting can be used effectively in greenhouses and vertical farms

• The different characteristics of light and how to measure.

Click here for more information and to register.

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Publication date: Fri 20 Dec 2019

Can Far-Red Light Improve Plant Growth

CAN FAR-RED LIGHT IMPROVE PLANT GROWTH?

While the focus for using artificial light in controlled environment agriculture has been primarily on red and blue light, growers may be missing out on the benefits that far-red light has to offer.

By David Kuack

When it comes to using artificial light, especially with LEDs, in controlled environment production, growers are primarily using a combination of red and blue light or white light.

“Plants under red and blue light have a decent photosynthetic rate,” said Dr. Shuyang Zhen, who is a postdoctoral fellow in the Plants, Soil and Climate Department at Utah State University. “Adding far-red light, which are photons with wavelengths from 700-750 nanometers (nm), can increase the photosynthetic rate as plants now utilize light more efficiently to produce carbohydrates.

“However, with most LEDs, there is no far-red light at all. If growers are using a broader spectrum white LED like cool white or warm white, they have a small fraction of far-red light, but it is not enough. We tested white LEDs that contain 2-8 percent far-red light and found there was an increase in the photosynthetic rate and efficiency compared to red/blue LEDs, which do not contain any far-red. But the amount of far-red light in white LEDs is not enough to maximize the photosynthetic rate and efficiency. These LEDs can be made more efficient by including additional far-red light.”

Dr. Shuyang Zhen, a postdoctoral fellow at Utah State University, has found that combining far-red light with red and blue light boosts the photosynthetic rate of greenhouse and field crops.
Photos courtesy of Dr. Shuyang Zhen, Utah St. Univ.

Impact of far-red light on photosynthesis

Zhen said many growers are familiar with how far-red light can affect plant morphology.

“Far-red light can cause stems to elongate and leaves to expand,” she said. “Far-red light also has some effect on flower regulation.”

Zhen has focused her research on the effects of far-red light on photosynthesis.

“We have looked in detail at how photosynthesis works,” she said. “There are two photosystems that are connected to carry out the light reaction of photosynthesis. Far-red light only stimulates one of those photosystems. The other photosystem is not really stimulated.

“Overall, there really isn’t much photosynthetic activity occurring by far-red light alone. There is a big decrease in photosynthetic activity when the light goes above 700 nanometers, which is the far-red light region. That is the reason that those light wavelengths have been ignored. But the photosynthetic rate is boosted when red, blue and far-red light are combined. Far-red, blue and red light have a synergistic effect.”

Impact of far-red light on plant growth

Zhen and her colleagues trialed the impact of far-red light on canopy photosynthesis of over a dozen plant species, including greenhouse leafy greens, cucumbers and tomatoes and field crops, including potatoes, rice, wheat, and corn. Sunlight has almost 20 percent far-red light.

“When plants are exposed to a cool white LED, which contains about 2 percent far-red, by adding up to 40 percent far-red light the photosynthetic rate is increased,” she said. “All of the species we trialed benefited from the addition of far-red light in terms of increasing photosynthesis.”

Zhen said the effects of far-red light during long-term plant cultivation varied depending on the plant species.

“Photosynthesis for all of the species benefitted from far-red light, but there were differences in the morphological responses of the plants,” she said. “Lettuce exposed to far-red light had expanded leaves and an increased leaf area. This is a good thing because lettuce can capture radiation more efficiently so they capture more light and grow faster.”

Zhen grew green-leaf lettuce varieties with red and blue LEDs and cool white LEDs, which are commonly used by commercial growers.

“We designed the experiment so the total number of photons (400-750 nm) for all of the light treatments was the same,” she said. “The plants were placed under LEDs with and without far-red light.

“The morphological response for lettuce grown under far-red light was leaves that expanded faster resulting in better radiation capture. Plants produced 30 percent more biomass. Long term there is this benefit with lettuce.”

The study with lettuce was stopped before the plants were ready to harvest. However, based on the results, Zhen said it could be concluded that lettuce grown with far-red light could shorten the production time.

“During the four weeks that the plants were exposed to far-red light they grew bigger and faster,” she said. “It is reasonable to say that the plants could have reached salable size sooner compared to the treatments with no far-red light. For the production of green lettuce, I would recommend incorporating far-red light.

Green-leaf lettuce varieties were grown under red and blue LEDs and cool white LEDs with and without far-red light. Lettuce grown with far-red light produced leaves that expanded faster resulting in better radiation capture. From left: red/blue, red/blue + far-red, white, white + far-red.

“For other species, far-red light may not be as beneficial. The increase in biomass might be in the stem and cause the plants to stretch. Cucumber was one of the species that adding far-red light long term doesn’t have much benefit.”

Based on the results of her trials Zhen said there is compelling evidence that increasing the amount of far-red light increases the photosynthetic rate.

“Further research needs to be done to determine the effects of far-red light on long term crops like cucumber and tomato,” she said. “Does exposure to far-red light and the accumulation of biomass speed up flowering? That part is not as well characterized. I haven’t done much in that area of research. There is research going on at other universities that characterize the long term effects of far-red light.”

The effects of UV light

Zhen is also interested in studying the effects of ultraviolet light on the photosynthetic rate.

“UV-B light wavelengths from 280 to 320 nm tend to trigger secondary metabolite production like the flavoring compounds in plants,” she said. “An example is field-grown tomatoes vs. greenhouse-grown tomatoes. Greenhouse glazing blocks UV light so plants often don’t produce as much of the flavoring compounds. These compounds are important for crops like herbs including basil. UV light may also trigger some stress responses causing plant damage.

Both greenhouse and field crops, including potato, experienced an increase in photosynthetic rate when exposed to far-red light.

“I am interested in UVA wavelengths from 320-400 nm. We started with violet photons that peak around 400-408 nm. These wavelengths are different from UV light. We are looking at the photosynthetic efficiency of these violet wavelengths, which have the potential to be utilized by growers. A typical white LED doesn’t contain any wavelengths below 400 nm.”

Zhen is using violet LEDs to study the impact on photosynthesis and the long term growth of cucumber and lettuce.

“For both of these species, violet wavelengths were as efficient for photosynthesis as commonly used blue LED wavelengths,” she said. “There wasn’t much difference in the photosynthetic rate at plant canopy level. But for cucumber, there was 15 percent more biomass production under violet wavelengths than under blue wavelengths, mainly due to leaf expansion. In the case of lettuce, violet light actually caused bleaching or yellowing of the leaves. We are trying to determine the effects of violet light on photosynthesis and plant growth before looking at the effects of shorter-wavelength UV photons.

“LED technology is moving so fast. Growers have the ability to change the colors and the intensity, but they can’t really take full advantage of that amazing capability because we still don’t fully understand how a particular color and intensity impact short- and long-term plant growth and development. We also need to learn more about how species and cultivars respond to the wavelengths. An increase in the short-term photosynthetic rate may not correlate with a long-term response or an increase in growth.”

For more: Shuyang Zhen, Utah State University, Plants, Soil and Climate Department, Logan, UT 84322; shuyang.zhen@usu.edu.

David Kuack is a freelance technical writer in Fort Worth, Texas; dkuack@gmail.com.

GLASE

Why ‘Vertical’ Farming Is Growing In The UK

18 December 2019

Louise Impey

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© Wu Kailiang/Alamy Stock Photo

Being able to produce crops 365 days a year, without the need for pesticides or much human intervention, while being unaffected by the weather, will appeal to many growers after such prolonged, wet autumn.

Vertical farming – sometimes called indoor farming – is the practice of growing plants under fully controlled conditions in buildings in many stacked layers, without solar light.

Unlike glasshouse production, which relies on sunlight, it makes use of LED lighting to provide different wavelengths of light, according to crop and growth stage need.

Together with soil-less growing techniques and environmental control systems, vertical farming is a specialist business.

Vertical farming – what is it?

The practice of growing crops in stacked layers, vertical farming often incorporates controlled environment agriculture and can be housed in buildings, shipping containers, underground tunnels and even abandoned mine shafts.

Vertical farms use soil-free growing techniques and stack crops in specially designed beds and trays, making use of artificial lighting and climate control to get the desired results.

During the growing process, four elements are controlled – lighting, irrigation, fertigation and climate.

Global and fast-growing

And it’s a fast-growing sector. Worldwide, it was worth £1.72bn in 2018, with experts predicting that will rise to £9.84bn by 2026. Japan and the US are leading the way, but other countries are catching on.

Enthusiasts say that vertical farming offers a means of guaranteeing yields and reducing the industry’s environmental impact, while improving the supply of safe, healthy and nutritious food and minimising the miles involved in its distribution.

Their vision – locally grown, quick-to-market fruit and vegetables, produced in the neighbourhood where it is consumed, with the traceability and integrity that food supply chains demand – is already being delivered by various facilities worldwide.

Solutions to challenges

These high-tech units are presented as the solution to many of the challenges facing traditional production methods, such as pollution and water use – even if they are currently limited to higher- or added-value crops in order to be profitable.

As they spring up around the world, they are also seen as a means of reducing reliance on food imports.

The use of automation and robotics to keep human intervention and labour costs to a minimum is attracting interest, while less food waste and making better use of limited land space are bonus features too.

Trends driving vertical farming

• Environmental impact of food production

• Demand for healthy, safe food

• Legislation

• Urbanisation

• Growing world population

• Scarcity of natural resources

• Changing eating habits

UK projects

In the UK, there have been several big projects announced in the last 12 months. Edinburgh-based Shockingly Fresh has ambitions to develop 40 sites and already has five on the go – one in Scotland and four in England.

Ocado is involved too, having invested £17m in the sector during 2019. That has seen it enter a joint venture with 32ha, a US firm, and Priva Holdings in the Netherlands, known as Infinite Acres.

It has also taken a 58% stake in Jones Food Company, a Lincolnshire-based business producing 420t of leafy greens each year at a facility of 5,120sq m – equivalent in size to 26 tennis courts.

In London, there is Growing Underground, which produces micro greens and salad leaves below the busy streets of Clapham, while in Bristol there is LettUs Grow, which provides the cutting edge technology required.

Technological advances

According to Leo Marcelis of Wageningen University, the vertical farming industry received a kick start from advances in the performance of LED lighting, which can be used to provide the type of light that different plant species need at a much better price than the previously used high-pressure sodium lamps.

“This is the most interesting bit,” he says. “LED lights, which are essential for replicating natural daylight, can be used to change the way plants grow, when they flower and how they taste. It’s all about varying the spectrum used at different growth stages.”

LED lights have other advantages, he notes. “They can be positioned between plants and layers, produce hardly any heat radiation and are more energy efficient.”

Asked whether vertical farming is sustainable, Prof Marcelis says that the current bottleneck is energy use.

“It meets so many requirements, such as much lower water and nutrient use, but it is energy-intensive. Of course, that is improving all the time, especially with lower-cost LED lighting and other technical developments.”

Vertical farming is capital intensive too. Plenty of start-up funding is required, with pay-back times depending on the unit’s operational efficiency and chosen retail route. While some have failed, others are finally starting to make small profits.

Case Study: LettUs Grow

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© Jack Wiseall Photography

Extreme weather events and consumer demand for freshness are the two reasons LettUs Grow’s co-founder Charlie Guy (pictured) cites as being behind the current interest in vertical farming.

In addition, being able to get consistent yields and produce quality for 12 months of the year, with the traceability and integrity that supply chains require, is opening up market opportunities for both existing growers and entrepreneurs, he says.

“Whether it’s a very cold spell, such as the Beast from the East, or a lengthy summer drought bringing water shortages, the frequency of extreme weather events is increasing. This has a cost to both growers and consumers.”

Diversification
His Bristol-based company designs the hardware and software needs for indoor growing facilities and is seeing interest from traditional producers, who are looking at an indoor system as a diversification project.

“For existing growers, they can add a valuable revenue stream,” he says. “They are predictable and scaleable, offer year-round production and tend to fit in well with existing projects such as renewable energy and anaerobic digesters.”

Technology
The LettUs Grow concept is based on aeroponics and a technology platform known as Ostara. Aeroponics give better growth rates than hydroponics, he claims, while using up to 95% less water than conventional agriculture.

“Aeroponics puts more oxygen in the root zone, which is why the plants perform better.”

Ostara – its cloud-hosted software – offers closed-loop control.

Mr. Guy explains it that does the data capture and automated control of the growing environment, bringing the food safety and traceability that’s needed, but also offering the potential to use sensors and robotic technology.

“That’s important because energy and labour should be the two key areas of focus with any vertical farming project,” he says. “They have the final say on profitability.”

Vertical farming is not just about lettuce, he stresses. “Although the focus has been on high-value herbs and pea shoots, there are around 60 different crops that can be grown in this way.

“The key to choosing what’s right for you is to look at what access you have to various markets, rather than opting for the fashionable crops.”

Hydroponics or aeroponics?
Both hydroponics and aeroponics deal with plants without the traditional growing medium of soil.

How the plants’ roots are situated in the systems determines the way in which they receive nutrients.

In hydroponic systems, the roots are submerged in water and nutrients are delivered in the water.

In aeroponics, the roots are exposed and sprayed with a mist containing water and nutrients, resulting in a humid, fog-like environment

Netled’s Niko Kurumaa On The Potential of Indoor Agriculture In North America

Nicola Kerslake

Nov 29, 2019

When we dialed Niko Kurumaa, sales manager at Netled, he took Contain’s call from the rooftop of a hotel in Los Angeles. When asked how his day was going, the tone of his voice was as bright and cheery as the California sun, “Well, it’s nice here so you could say that I’m doing pretty well,” he said.

But Kurumaa was pretty far away from his home-base in Finland. So, what brought him all the way from the cold of Finland to the American west coast?

He was there for one reason: the promise of indoor agriculture in North America.

Kurumaa is the sales manager at Netled, a Finnish company that sells indoor agricultural tech like LED lights for indoor growing and fully integrated vertical farms. And now he’s in the United States to lead sales at the company as it enters the North American indoor agricultural market.

“We at Netled think that there is a huge potential for our products in North America.” He continued, “We have always been a global company, but now we see that North America has the need and the market for indoor growing technology.”

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Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

Netled is new to the indoor agriculture market — Kurumaa has been working in the United States for around five months now and has one LED lighting project in the United States so far. Although their experience working in the United States may be limited, this is just the beginning, and they see the potential for future business.

Growing North American indoor agriculture

When Kurumaa talks about Netled’s reasoning behind entering the United States, it all comes down to the economics of indoor farming and the quality of greens grown by their indoor farms.

“Our [vertical farming] system doesn’t just grow better quality greens; it’s economically feasible when you compare it to the traditional ways of growing greens and herbs” Kurumaa explained.

But the Company has seen some challenges to entering the U.S. market, like communicating its feasibility to possible customers.

“There are times when we need to explain the process of indoor agriculture when we meet potential growers. Some people don’t even believe that this technology exists, because people know less about it.”

This makes selling their technologies a challenge, but they find ways to overcome misunderstandings.

“We have two reference farms. One in the UK to go with our customers and a larger one in Finland that has around 47,000 square feet of growing space,” he told Contain.

The company can take growers there so that they can see first hand how vertical farming works. In addition to the farms, Netled has even set up their office as an indoor farm just so that visitors can see their technology in action when they come in for meetings.

Proving the value of indoor agriculture may be a challenge, but to Kurumaa, the promises dwarf any barriers they face to entering the market.

“South California has a long drought season and forest fires are raging. We need to think about how we use land and water. Systems like ours use about 99 percent less than conventional farms,” he said.

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He told Contain, “most leafy greens are grown with pesticides in California and Mexico and then are shipped thousands of miles all over North America. People are starting to see that this isn’t an ethical way to produce food.”

He paused and then said, “Now we can produce much better lettuce in urban areas right next to the consumer. There is no reason to ship lettuce the long distances.”

It just goes to show that for this company, the call for indoor agriculture isn’t just about economic feasibility. It is about providing a brighter future for the regions of the United States like the American west. As Netled expands the business to the United States, they bring an economic rational, and an ethical imperative to live more sustainably.

• Agriculture Hydroponics Led Lighting Led Lighting Industry Indoor Agriculture

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WRITTEN BY

Nicola Kerslake

We’re Contain Inc. We use data to improve access to capital for indoor growers, those farming in warehouses, containers & greenhouses. https://www.contain.ag/

China's First Intelligent LED Plant Factory in Beijing

This farm at the third ring road in Beijing is the first intelligent LED plant factory in China. The factory is highly modernized and managed by the protected agricultural IoT control system.

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In more detail, there are dozens of sensors in the factory to jointly manage various parameters of the plant during its growth. Sensors and artificial intelligence cameras are also monitored throughout the process to adjust various parameters in real-time. Through the sensor and the visual analysis system equipped with artificial intelligence cameras, the parameters such as temperature, light, water and gas fertilizer are continuously optimized, and the changes of plant growth phenotypic parameters are collected and learned and calculated.

The data model of crop growth optimization is obtained, and the “plant dialogue” is implemented. The goal is to achieve maximum yield and quality with the least amount of resources.

In this “farm” built of steel the “farmland” is a row of five-layer double-row seedling racks in the house.

The person in charge of the farm said that the seedling efficiency per unit area of ​​this seedling rack is more than 40 times that of conventional seedlings, and the seedling cycle can be shortened by 40%. Take an example of the cultivation of lettuce. From planting to harvesting, the plant factory only takes 20 days by using the so-called "Deep Flow Technique (DFT)". Besides, the output per unit area is more than 25 times that of open field cultivation, while the produce is still of high quality.

Going against tradition
In fact, this highly efficient method of cultivating vegetables is not a rare thing. As early as 1903, countries began to plant vegetables in a vertical way. But when the LED light source solved the sunshine problem in plant growth, and new technologies allowed for better control, vertical farming really started to take off.

In 2005, Yang Qichang, chief of the "Facilities Plant Environmental Engineering Team" of the Institute of Agricultural Environment and Sustainable Development of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences,  found that the red and blue light combination of LED can provide an ideal spectrum for plant photosynthesis; he immediately imagined that using LEDs in plant factories instead of fluorescent lamps at that time would be a new development direction.

Since the spectral components of civil-used and plant-used LEDs were very different at that time, the team had contacted many domestic research institutes such as the Institute of Semiconductors of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and spent several times the price of civil-used LEDs to jointly develop 4 sets of LED plant light source panel systems. Since then, they have carried out many experimental pieces of researches on plant seedling, leaf vegetable cultivation, medicinal plant cultivation, and plant tissue culture, and obtained a large number of plant light formula parameters.

Afterwards, under the support of the national “863” project “Intelligent Plant Factory Production Technology Research”, the Innovation Project of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and 15 research units jointly tackled the problem and finally obtained a series of innovative breakthroughs: first proposed multiple light formulas for plants, and created LED energy-saving light source based on light formulas and its light environment control technology equipment; first proposed light-temperature coupled energy-saving environment control method, and created the energy-saving environmental regulation technology equipment of the plant factory; first proposed a light-nutrition regulation method for vegetable quality, and created a short-term continuous illumination to improve quality technology and technical equipment before mining; first proposed an intelligent management and control method for plant factory efficacy, energy efficiency and nutritional quality improvement, and created an intelligent management and control system based on the IoT.

Indeed, LED plant factory technology is time-consuming and labor-intensive, but this technology can help the growth of vegetables which means they can be moved indoors, completely freeing the restrictions of land, sunlight, and water. It also has the advantage of “efficient production”. Yang Qichang explained that the unit area yield can reach dozens or even hundreds of times of natural cultivation in the open field, and the water consumption is less than 5%.

However, only 10 years ago, only a few developed countries such as Japan, the United States, and the Netherlands mastered this technology. Today, as environmental and health issues are increasingly mentioned, this technology is used in all areas of agricultural production in various countries.

A long way to go
For China, although the development of this technology has good achievements, it still has obstacles on the way forward. There is a lack of professionals in this technology, and a lot of research and development funds are needed.

However, the experts of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the factories responsible for researching this technology are very confident. They believe that in the future smart agriculture will become the norm, and the LED smart factory is a business card for Chinese agriculture to go international.

Source: chinadaily.com.cn; sheshiyuanyi.com

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Publication date: Mon 25 Nov 2019

Violet Defense Group Raises $2 Million For Expansion of It's Germ-Killing And Ag Light Businesses

ORLANDO, Fla. – November 5, 2019 - Violet Defense Group announced today that it has raised an additional $2 million in funding for its germ-killing business, Violet Defense and its agricultural lighting business, Violet Gro.  This round of capital was led by Kirenaga Partners, an early-stage venture capital firm with offices in New York and Orlando, Florida.  

“This infusion of additional capital will enable us to take both companies to their next level of growth, including further build-out of our management team and the product inventory necessary to accelerate the rich pipeline of opportunities that are developing for our products,” added Terrance Berland, CEO of Violet Defense Group.

Violet Defense introduced the first known pulsed Xenon UV disinfection system that could be installed in the ceiling and work automatically to kill up to 99.9% of key pathogens of concern in both healthcare and other commercial spaces, such as athletic facilities, office buildings, food production facilities, hotels, schools, and more.  Violet Defense has established an exclusive partnership with Puro Lighting for commercialization of the Violet Defense technology throughout the United States and Canada.   Puro Lighting is a Denver-based company dedicated to protecting people’s health and promoting wellness with specialized lighting technologies, which markets its products directly and also through an extensive network of medical and lighting agencies and distributors.

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Violet Gro combines cutting-edge design with patented technology to produce LED grow lights that are highly energy-efficient and produce very little heat, thereby lending themselves to substantial cost savings of up to 70% when compared against traditional lighting solutions. 

“We have a unique ability with our technology to solve critical issues in the indoor agriculture space from energy savings to improved conditions for growing healthy, vibrant plants,” said Kurt Kucera, President of Violet Gro.

A key commercialization opportunity for Violet Gro is its partnership with Hyperponic, which selected Violet Gro as its primary lighting supplier for its CropTower TM in June of this year.  The Hyperponic CropTowerTM is a technologically advanced and fully integrated growing system that provides a complete computer-controlled environment and nutrition management system to facilitate increased quality and consistency, faster production, reduced space requirement and better yields at lower costs.

The Violet Gro team will be showcasing its latest technology, including its next-generation grow light, its UV light prototype and a version of the CropTowerTM at MJBizCon, the preeminent Marijuana Business Conference in Las Vegas, December 11-13, 2019. 

###

 About Violet Defense Group

Violet Defense Group is an advanced photonics company based in Celebration, Florida helping to leverage its patented technology for solutions that lead to a healthier world.  As the parent company to Violet Defense, the germ-killing technology company, and Violet Gro, the agricultural lighting company, Violet Defense Group is committed to harnessing the power of the sun to bring its benefits to indoor environments. 

About Violet Defense

Violet Defense uses UV disinfection to protect everyday spaces from harmful pathogens by killing up to 99.9% of bacteria and viruses, including E. coli, Salmonella, MRSA, C. diff., Norovirus, and C. auris.  Violet Defense’s technology is the only known Pulsed Xenon solution that can be installed into a room full-time, creating a continuous way to address disinfection needs of all types of settings.  For more information, visit www.violetdefense.com or follow us on Facebook (@violetdefense). 

About Violet Gro

Violet Gro’s LED grow lights combine cutting-edge design with the patented technology to create cost-effective, long-term solutions to indoor growing, providing plants more light with less heat, leading to substantial energy savings.  Violet Gro is uniquely capable of incorporating UV light into grow environments to protect against harmful mold, mildew, and pests, as well as drive increases in medical substances produced by plants.  For more information, visit www.violetgro.com or follow us on Facebook (@violetgro) or Instagram (@violet_gro).

Media Contact for Violet Defense Group:
Jessica Jones, Vice President of Marketing

407.433.1104, x1002

jjones@violetdefense.com

Lighting Research Consortium Brings CEA Community Industry-Ready Technologies

Without light, plants can't grow. The continued advance of controlled environment agriculture means that sunlight is often supplemented and in some cases completely replaced by artificial lighting. It works well, but there's one caveat: artificial lighting can take a lot of energy. Reason enough for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to kickstart the Greenhouse Lighting and Systems Engineering (GLASE) consortium with $5 million in funding. That was in June 2017. What's happened since then? Erico Mattos, the consortium's Executive Director, tells us more.

The goal of the consortium, an initiative between NYSERDA, Cornell University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, with Rutgers University participating as a collaborator, is to reduce carbon emissions, Erico explains. "NYSERDA saw the growth of the CEA industry, indoor farms and greenhouses, and with technologies evolving really fast, especially on greenhouse systems like lighting controls and LEDs, they realized that there's a lot of room for technology development that can help reduce the energy consumption of lighting and integrated systems in greenhouses. So NYSERDA sponsored this program with the objective to reduce the carbon emissions coming from greenhouses' electricity use by 70% from the levels of 2017."

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Cornell University Greenhouse

To achieve this ambitious goal, a combination of engineering and plant physiology is used. “At Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute we work with the center for Lighting Enabled Systems & Applications (LESA). Led by Dr. Elsebeth Kolmos, LESA engineers are developing new LED research modules, new driver technologies, and spectroanalysis to optimize plant growth under LED lights. At Cornell University, a team of researchers led by Dr. Neil Mattson is developing integrated lighting control systems based on plant physiology responses to optimize crop production yield and reduce operational costs in commercial greenhouses".

Focus on food, but everyone benefits
The consortium focuses their research on food crops - they work with the following crop models:

• Lettuce

• Strawberry

• Tomatoes

"Those are the crops we use to do research. But the outcomes of this research," Erico points out, "can be applied to any of the industries. And our outreach activities, which are not sponsored by the NYSERDA funds but paid for by membership fees, are open to the entire CEA industry. They're pretty much crop agnostic." That means cannabis or ornamental growers, for instance, can also benefit from the consortium's efforts.

And while the consortium was started in New York, that doesn't mean it's geographically limited. "We started in New York because all the founding members are here, but at this time we have members all across the US, we have 22 industry members today, including an international body of farms, in the Middle East. For now, we're establishing a base in the US, the next step is going international."

Diagram of GLASE work frame

Sharing knowledge and technology
The consortium focuses on the following types of industry members:

1. CEA growers

2. Lighting, sensing and control manufacturers

3. Basic manufacturers (companies that make the LEDs, drivers, etc. that go into lighting, sensing and control)

4. Retailers

5. Service providers

So what do those members actually get out of it? "Growers get all this knowledge that we are generating. With the GLASE consortium, we have more than 300 technical milestones, from the development of new LEDs to implemented systems in greenhouses."

For growers, GLASE offers knowledge and technology transfer. "The knowledge transfer happens through our outreach activities, like webinars, industry talks, industry advisory board meetings where growers come together with manufacturers and we discuss all the research that we're doing." In addition, grower members have access to the GLASE researchers at Cornell, RPI and Rutgers University.

When it comes to the technology transfer, members of the consortium have first-hand access to technology that's developed by those researchers. "If there's any IP, for example, it's disclosed to members first - they have the right of first refusal.”

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GLASE Commercial pilot: SAF Produce, Berlin, NY

Practical results
According to Erico, these are exciting times for the consortium. After the start-up phase, now the time has come to start harvesting. For instance, the consortium has developed their own LED module for lighting research. They use these to research how growers can best use lighting in their cultivation. But there's also something in it for the manufacturers: "Everything we do in these research fixtures, they can take that information and use this to guide product development.”

This research is conducted in the context of the milestones set by NYSERDA, but the GLASE researchers do get feedback from industry members during quarterly meetings (two of them by phone, two of them in-person meetings) on how this knowledge can be applied practically. "For example," Erico says, "they can make recommendations on what to research next, or on how to better implement the technology we're developing into commercial facilities." Using this feedback, the researchers tweak or adjust their research to end up with a practically implementable solution. “We are working to de-risk the technology development process by validating new technics in the lab and in commercial pilot greenhouses to provide the CEA community industry ready technologies.”

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GLASE Commercial pilot: Wheatfield Gardens, Buffalo, NY

For the practical implementation, GLASE is working with two commercial lettuce greenhouses in New York State: SAF Produce in Berlin, and Wheatfield Gardens in Buffalo. Both greenhouses were retrofitted with LEDs. "It is our goal to implement all the technologies that were developed by GLASE in each of those greenhouses, establishing a baseline on the energy consumption and then compare the results before and after." This is an ongoing process, and GLASE will publish the results at a later stage.

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For more information:
Greenhouse Lighting and Systems Engineering
glase.org

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Publication date: 9/18/2019
Author: Jan Jacob Mekes
© HortiDaily.com

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Illumitex Launches NeoPAR-XO LED for Vertical Farming With 1820 PPF Output And FarmVision AI

Illumitex upgrades it’s popular grow-proven NeoPAR LED lighting system for vertical-farming to record performance levels and adds FarmVisionAITM to see every plant, from anywhere, at anytime

[Austin, Texas, Oct. 7, 2019] Illumitex, a leader in LED Grow Lights and Digital Ag, announces NeoPARTM XO, a major upgrade to their grow proven NeoPAR LED lighting system designed for vertical agricultural systems. The new NeoPAR XO is a major leap forward in lighting performance and brings the benefits of Illumitex’s horticulturist-curated artificial-intelligent machine-learning FarmVisionAI to the difficult task of vertical farming.

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NeoPAR XO takes Illumitex’s proven LED platform to the highest output commercially available at 1820 mol/sec with an efficiency of 2.6 mol/J. The system comes available with a wide range of features, highlighted below, that enable easy, worry-free vertical farming at the largest, densest scales. The high efficiency and low maintenance deliver the dream of profitable and sustainable urban farming ecosystems.

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The new NeoPAR XO LED platform goes a step further in performance and capabilities with a native FarmVisionAI integration option. FarmVisionAI gives farmers “peace of mind” with integrated cameras and cloud-based AI that allows them to see any plant, at any level, from anywhere, at any time. FarmWatchTM is the visualization platform allowing you to see every plant on your farm at scale. Digital ScoutTM is the artificial intelligence that is trained to detect nutrition deficiencies, canopy density, and flower counts. “FarmVisionAI for vertical growing is absolutely essential in managing the added complexity of vertical systems,” says Dennis Riling VP of Business Development at Illumitex. “Our

DigitalScout can detect biotic and/or abiotic anomalies early in the grow cycle to prevent loss and help improve quality.”

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To learn more come see Illumitex at the Canadian greenhouse conference on October 9 & 10 in Niagara Falls ON, Canada. If you can’t make the show look us up at www.illumitex.ca to learn more about LED lighting for horticulture and digital transformation of agriculture.

About Illumitex, Inc.: Illumitex is breaking the boundaries of traditional lighting by combining LED light fixtures with hi-res cameras and cloud-based horticulturist-curated artificial intelligence to deliver radically new value to growers and farmers. With more than a decade of experience in both LED lighting and horticultural science, an absolute dedication to quality and performance, and knowledgeable support for the success of every customer, grow and crop – Illumitex, Inc. is the optimum partner for your greenhouse, vertical farm or any indoor grow initiative.

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Lighting Control Platform Enables Dimming on Demand

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Candidus is a startup company in Athens, GA, USA, that focuses on smart lighting control systems for the greenhouse industry. Their mission is to reduce the cost of supplemental lighting for greenhouse growers by implementing an adaptive lighting control system.

Candidus was co-founded by Drs. Erico Mattos and Marc van Iersel in 2017. Dr. Mattos studied photosynthesis optimization using LED lighting at the University of Georgia and previously founded a LED lighting company. Dr. van Iersel is a professor of horticulture at the University of Georgia, with a background in plant physiology and environmental measurement and control. His research focus is the optimization of the cost-effectiveness of LED lighting in horticulture.

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Integration with third-party lighting
Candidus was awarded a US Department of Agriculture grant to develop an innovative adaptive lighting control system. Based on research conducted at the University of Georgia, Candidus has developed an adaptive lighting control system that assures that supplemental light is provided when the crop can best use that light and only in the amount that can be effectively used by the crop. The system will not change the basic lighting settings. "Because growers, not us, should decide how to grow their crop", Marc van Iersel clarifies. "But growers can very easily change the photoperiod and daily light integral, after which the controller will implement it."

Using instantaneous light measurements and a proprietary algorithm, Candidus’ control system determines exactly how much supplemental light to provide and when. Using an industrial microcomputer, the control system monitors the ambient sunlight and sends a dimming signal to third-party lights. Candidus’ supplemental lighting control system technology is particularly well-suited for use with dimmable LED fixtures, but can also be used with non-dimmable LED or HPS lights.

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The Candidus controller

Candidus does not make light fixtures. Instead, the focus is on the development of optimal control systems for third party lights. The company is already working with several light manufacturers. "So far we have worked with Fluence BioEngineering and our first round of grower trials used their VYPRx Plus lights. We are also working with Illumitex and Osram", Marc says. "Most dimmable LED fixtures take a 0 – 10 VDC signal to control light output and our technology is fully compatible with such lights, regardless of brand. Osram uses a proprietary protocol for dimming, so that requires coordination between Osram and Candidus. But our hardware is fully capable of dimming those lights as well."

"Adjusting the lighting is simple and there really are no big challenges on that end of things as long as lighting manufacturers use dimmable drivers", Marc continues. "Some companies, like Signify, use non-dimmable drivers and those lights can only be turned on and off. The bigger challenge is with lighting systems that may not be designed in a way that allows growers to actually achieve their goals. For example, the overall lighting capacity may not be enough to allow growers to actually achieve the daily light integral when needed."

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Web-based interface
Greenhouse growers use the control system through a web-based interface, entering only a few simple settings: the daily light integral target value, the time the lights should come on, and when the light should go off. If needed, growers can also program in low-intensity night interruption lighting for control of flowering of photoperiodic crops.

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A sample of the monthly report growers get. Click here for a bigger version.

While the crop growth isn't monitored directly, Marc says they can make recommendations for a wide range of crops. "If growers are willing to share information on crop growth, we can make refinements in the lighting strategy."

At the moment, the Candidus platform doesn't tie in with existing cultivation software, but the company is interested in doing this in the future. "Hopefully, our software can be an integral component of control systems made by companies like Priva and Hoogendoorn", Marc says.

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For more information
Candidus
info@candidus.us
www.candidus.us

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Publication date: 9/16/2019
Author: Jan Jacob Mekes
© HortiDaily.com

UK: Heliospectra To Supply New Technology For John Innes Centre

Heliospectra, an intelligent lighting technology provider for greenhouse and controlled plant growth environments, announces a new order from the John Innes Centre in the United Kingdom. This order of Heliospectra’s fully controllable Elixia LED lights complements the previous orders made by the customer and will be part of a project retrofitting glasshouses automated by Heliospectra’s helioCORE light control software. The order value is SEK 2.4 million (£ 200,000).

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The John Innes Centre is an independent, international research center of excellence in plant science, genetics and microbiology. To meet the challenge of feeding a growing population, plant breeders and scientists are continuously looking for ways to increase genetic gain in crop production. As a result, the John Innes Centre has become one of the world’s leading research centers on speed breeding which is a cultivation technique allowing researchers to shorten the breeding cycle and accelerate research studies through rapid generation of crops. 

“A growing human population and changing environment have increased the concern regarding food security. We desperately need crops better suited to today’s climate. At the John Innes Centre, we are well-known for our speed breeding research and are conducting ongoing crop research on a range of different crops. For that, we need a solution that allows for complete control of all environmental parameters, such as light, temperature, and humidity,” said John Lord, Horticulture Manager at John Innes Centre. “Heliospectra’s ELIXIA lights enable us to upgrade our lighting environment to market-leading lighting standards with spectrum-based control. We have the capability to program each individual wavelength to adapt to individual crop needs.” 

”The John Innes Centre is one of Europe’s leading research institutions with critical speed breeding expertise as the world is accelerating food production to support an additional two billion people by 2050. Heliospectra continues to work with the John Innes team to expand their large-scale helioCORE installation. We look forward to supporting their work and significant advancements in crop performance with our pioneering horticulture lighting, automation, and light control solutions,” said Peter Nyberg, Head of Technology and Development at Heliospectra.  

Heliospectra's ELIXIA light creates clear business benefits for cultivation teams and researchers around the world. The fully adjustable LED lighting solution is compatible with Heliospectra's helioCORE light control software, enabling growers to improve the quality of plants and accelerate harvest and production cycles while providing consistent and standardized returns 365 days a year.  

The order will be delivered in Q3 and visible in the accounts for Q4 2019.

For more information:

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Heliospectra
Box 5401 SE-402 29 Göteborg Sweden
Phone: +46 31 40 67 10
Fax: +46 31 83 37 82
info@heliospectra.com
www.heliospectra.com

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Publication date: 9/19/2019

Nurturing The Seeds of Vertical Farming

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09.10.2019

By Dan Malovany

Vertical farming today is moving from a conceptual phase to the mainstream as a greater abundance of food is profitably grown in urban areas and new crops come under development, said Henry Gordon-Smith, founder, Agritecture Consulting Services during his Fresh Take Talk at the International Baking Industry Exposition on this cutting-edge movement on Sept. 8.

Vertical farming involves building indoor farms with LED lights to replace the sun and control every single variable in that farm to optimize plant growth. Despite the fact the first U.S. vertical farms are less than a decade old, the sustainable industry has blossomed with the flourishing demand for local, safe produce and farm-fresh ingredients as well as the need of city dwellers concerned about climate change to reconnect with food systems in their local communities.

Such farms allow craft bakers, high-end retailers and fine restaurants to fill a void and offer fresh-grown food harvested year-round.

“Retailers should think about value-added products through vertical farming through enhancing the retail experience or through growing something that could be used in their bakery products,” Mr. Gordon-Smith said.

He added they create the opportunity to cultivate customer loyalty through marketing value-added baked foods with herbs, vegetables and other free-from-pesticides ingredients harvested in their store or at a nearly indoor farm. These herbs and vegetables also can be sown in larger vertical farms that offer fresh seasonal food or in a smaller unit inside a store that also promotes a theater of community that grounds city dwellers with the food they consume.

The multi-level farms range from 250 square feet for a small retail shop to 3,000 to 10,000 square feet for a medium-sized operation that supplies the nearby neighborhood. The world’s largest one is about 60,000 square feet. Mr. Gordon-Smith said vertical farming is prospering globally, especially in colder climates and congested urban areas where farm-fresh food isn’t readily available.

Typically, wheat isn’t the best crop for vertical farms, mainly because it takes so much space to grow the volume needed to produce baked foods. Mr. Gordon-Smith added that wheat requires a soil structure that hydroponic soil cannot provide, although there may be opportunities to foster the growth of heirloom and specialty wheat as the trend expands. However, rosemary and other key minor fresh components in baked goods are more practical today.

“You’re essentially driving the value of a fresh product, and fresh wheat isn’t a huge value proposition because it’s stored and transports very well,” Mr. Gordon-Smith said. “Fresh lettuce doesn’t, so you can see why fresh lettuce and other products would be grown in a vertical farm and not wheat.”

Mr. Gordon-Smith expected vertical farming research of wheat, cocoa and other value-added commodities could become more widely available in five years. In recent years, he added, the quality of wheat has deteriorated due to myriad variables. The urban farms provide the possibility of naturally raising the quality of wheat by controlling all of the variables involved in growing the crop.

“We’re going to see more and more research on how to grow wheat indoors and how to develop indoor systems to grow wheat,” he said.

Lead photo: Source: Adobe Stock

Sugarmade Introduces New State-of-the-art iPower Cultivation Equipment on Amazon.com

PR Newswire September 10, 2019

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Sugarmade, Inc. (SGMD) ("Sugarmade", "SGMD", or the "Company"), a leading supplier of hydroponics and cultivation equipment and resources, is excited to introduce its new line of "iPower" branded inline duct ventilation fans. Designed for durability, high-performance, and affordability, this advanced equipment for indoor and hydroponic cultivators is now available for immediate purchase on the Company's website at zenhydro.com and on Amazon.com.

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"Indoor and greenhouse cultivation is becoming increasingly sophisticated, helping both hobbyists and commercial cultivators maximize output regardless of seasonality or weather conditions," commented Jimmy Chan, CEO of Sugarmade. "This sophistication, along with expanding mainstream interest in products derived from hemp and hemp-related crops in North America, has driven increasing interest in both indoor and hydroponics cultivation, which has helped to foster booming demand for related equipment. We have positioned Sugarmade as a leading supplier of superior quality equipment catering to that boom. And our new line of iPower inline fans represents the latest example of our commitment to that standard and strategy."

Management notes that the global indoor farming market is valued at more than $106 billion, with steady growth anticipated over coming years due to projected declines in arable land and increasing demand to cultivate newly legalized cash crops in North America, suggesting upward demand pressure on the indoor and hydroponics cultivation equipment and supplies market. The Company also believes the 2018 US Farm Bill, with its positive implications for hemp-related cultivation, will drive further growth in expected demand forecasts for indoor and hydroponic cultivation equipment suppliers.

To meet that expanded demand, the Company sees ventilation as a core product category in the indoor and hydroponic cultivation market, on par with advanced lighting and nutrient resources. In addition to its new state-of-the-art iPower inline ventilation fans, the Company also offers an extensive grow light product portfolio.

The iPower inline fan has been designed to produce superior air flow while optimizing energy efficiency and minimizing noise production through its advanced composite fan blade and center hub design, which reduces noise and vibration. iPower inline fans are available in 4-inch, 6-inch, or 8-inch models, can be used with or without iPower carbon filters and duct ventilation, and come packaged in a unique lightweight yet durable housing.

Mr. Chan continued, "We are confident that the iPower line represents the superior choice in the marketplace. iPower inline fans provide strong flexibility in configurations and include intelligent programing capabilities. They make an excellent addition to our growing product portfolio as we continue to build a leadership role in catering to a very wide market footprint, from hobbyist cultivators all the way through the largest commercial cultivators."

About Sugarmade and iPower Brands

iPower is a leading manufacturer of grow light systems; supplying gardeners, worldwide, for over a decade.  The product lines use the transformative power of light to make gardening more efficient and productive. In addition to HPS/MH and Ceramic MH technology, iPower product offer digital ballasts, fluorescent, and LED lighting systems. Sugarmade Inc. is a product and brand marketing company investing in products and brands with disruptive potential.

For more information, visit the company's website at www.Sugarmade.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements also may be included in other publicly available documents issued by the Company and in oral statements made by our officers and representatives from time to time. These forward-looking statements are intended to provide management's current expectations or plans for our future operating and financial performance, based on assumptions currently believed to be valid. They can be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "goal," "seek," "believe," "project," "estimate," "expect," "strategy," "future," "likely," "may," "should," "would," "could," "will" and other words of similar meaning in connection with a discussion of future operating or financial performance. Examples of forward looking statements include, among others, statements relating to future sales, earnings, cash flows, results of operations, uses of cash and other measures of financial performance.

Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors include, among others. such as, but not limited to economic conditions, changes in the laws or regulations, demand for products and services of the company, the effects of competition and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or represented in the forward looking statements.

Any forward-looking information provided in this release should be considered with these factors in mind. We assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this report.

Contact:
Jimmy Chan
+1-(888)-982-1628
info@Sugarmade.com

Vertical Farming, A Sustainable Innovation

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September 10, 2019

 Could new innovative light recipes in indoor farms hold the key to feeding the world’s growing population? 

Innovatus, a sustainable agricultural business in Fuji City, Japan, reached out to us. It had an interesting challenge it wanted help in solving. Namely, to produce high-quality, tasty, and pesticide-free lettuce in the most efficient way possible.  In recent years, Japanese consumers have become increasingly concerned with food safety. People worry about pesticide-treated vegetables grown outdoors and the effects of fine particle pollutants that can be a serious health risk. To cater for the demand for clean, safe produce, Innovatus established a vertical farm with strict hygiene controls to produce truly safe vegetables.

We swung into action, responding with a mix of LED lighting expertise and technology. Our goal was simple: to increase the efficiency of one of the world’s largest closed-environment vertical farms - helping it to deliver 12,000 heads of lettuce every single day.

This new form of farming, within buildings located close to urban areas, is gaining momentum. Some believe it will become common place as the world’s population grows. According to the UN, the global population will hit 9.7 billion by 2050.

“We were really impressed by how well-suited the Philips LED modules are for vertical farming. They allow us to create consistent quality produce locally, using only a fraction of the water and electricity compared to open field lettuce or lettuce grown with the help of fluorescent lighting,” said cultivation management group team leader Shinichi Kitamura.

Consumers find the lettuce fresh and flavorful, especially compared to lettuce grown outside. Additionally, since the lettuce from Innovatus is grown and packaged in an extremely hygienic environment, there is no need for its consumers to wash it before eating and it lasts for two weeks.

“At Signify, we’re proud to be contributing to such projects because it reflects how we can solve social and environmental challenges using technologies that are more sustainable,” said Anton Brummelhuis, Senior Director Sustainability at Signify. “This project meets one of our eight sustainable focal areas. In this case, Basic Needs – in other words, how we contribute to the availability of fresh air, water, and food.

Vertical farming for smarter and more sustainable cities

More efficient food production will be needed to support an additional two billion people on the planet through to 2050. New and smarter agricultural methods other than rural farming will be required to deliver food – at scale – to meet demand.

And that’s why Signify develops special lighting for vertical farming and high tech horticulture – to help feed this growing population in a more sustainable way.

We help optimize growth systems with LED lighting for crop cultivation all year round. Our tailor-made light recipes contribute to predictable growth, bigger harvests and higher quality plants.

Our tailor-made light recipes contribute to predictable growth, bigger harvests, and higher quality plants."

Our GrowWise Center in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, is where much of the research into new light recipes takes place. There, scientists constantly look for improvements in crops such as taste, health benefits, texture and quality. By controlling parameters needed to grow plants, such as light, humidity, and irrigation, we help our customers get the most out of crops while saving space, energy and water.

 “We use exactly the same photons as the sun, just optimized for the type of plant. We use water but we recycle it so use less. We keep out bugs and pests and optimize the plant for taste. We do this in a clean environment, all year-round. The result is reduced waste, food miles…and produce that is clean, healthy, and nutritious food, grown in a resource efficient way,” said Roel Janssen, Global Director City Farming

In Japan, a new large-scale vertical farm was built using the Philips GreenPower LED production module to grow high-quality lettuce varieties, spinach and coriander year-round.

Crops from the vertical farm don’t use pesticides and have a much lower bacterial count. The automated process from seeding to harvest takes only 39 days compared to 70 days in the open field, and production reaches up to 3,200 kg of lettuce a day. And the controlled environment gives the customer the opportunity to steer growth characteristics to improve shelf life, red coloration in lettuce, even vitamin C levels.

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Vertical Farming and Sustainable Development

To help create a bright future for people and the planet, the UN established global goals for sustainable development. These interconnected goals aim to tackle the most pressing challenges we face as a global community including, but not limited to, climate, resource scarcity and poverty. 

Vertical farming as a sustainable agricultural practice is important. Innovative solutions for urban agriculture, if scaled up, can be an answer for future food scarcity while developing sustainable food production patterns.

Sustainable agricultural practices are crucial if the world is to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, such as goals 11 and 12, for sustainable and resilient cities and communities, and responsible production and consumption.

With our research, we develop climate-resilient technology and increase resource efficiency that contribute to the transition towards more sustainable and smarter cities, at the heart of SDG 11. And scaling up these solutions creates sustainable food production patterns, which in turn contribute to SDG12.

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 Lighting is perhaps the killer app for vertical farming. Recent breakthroughs in LED technology may well lead to a golden age for urban farmers, improving plant consistency, quality and yield. Vertical farms that use fewer resources, located close to towns and cities will reduce the distance from farm to fork, reshaping the role of agriculture.”

Anton Brummelhuis

Senior Director Sustainability at Signify

“Lighting is perhaps the killer app for vertical farming. Recent breakthroughs in LED technology may well lead to a golden age for urban farmers, improving plant consistency, quality and yield. Vertical farms that use fewer resources, located close to towns and cities will reduce the distance from farm to fork, reshaping the role of agriculture,” said Anton Brummelhuis, Senior Director Sustainability at Signify.

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About the author:
Thomas Marinelli
Head of Sustainable Design and Sustainable Products

Bejo Zaden And Signify Team Up To Accelerate Breeding of More Seed Varieties

Signify has partnered with Bejo Zaden to accelerate breeding of more seed varieties through a new vertical farm approach to cultivation. In the facility, a large climate-controlled room is equipped with Philips GrowWise Control System to automate control of Philips GreenPower LED dynamic modules. The company can now produce multiple crop cycles per year to meet the high demand from growers, faster.

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“We’ve actually doubled the number of growing hours per day. Normally our crops only flower once a year, but now with this dynamic LED lighting solution, our crops flower multiple times a year,” said Jan Kempen, Crop Specialist at Bejo Zaden. “Thanks to our dedicated light recipes from Signify, we can steer the light spectrum and intensity for each individual crop and growth phase. We’re able to force flowering or prevent plants from bolting. For asparagus, we are now getting stronger, more vigorous tissue culture plants.”

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Bejo Zaden first used supplemental lighting and later LED lighting to speed up the breeding process for new varieties, which typically takes 10 to 15 years. After several trials in smaller climate-controlled rooms, set up by their long-term horticulture partner Lek Habo, Bejo Zaden reached out to Signify in 2017 to help them implement a larger climate-controlled room. Signify’s plant specialists helped the company develop a custom-made growing process in the right environment and created special light recipes to meet the company’s requirements.

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“Bejo Zaden tries to accelerate breeding of more disease-resistant seed varieties, said Udo van Slooten, Business Leader Horticulture at Signify. “Our LED solutions give growers the control they need to move to new cultivation techniques that are both sustainable and profitable.”

Bejo Zaden will share the results during their Open Days September 24 – 28th. 

For more information:

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Signify

horti.info@signify.com
www.philips.com/horti

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Publication date: 9/17/2019

Scientists Grow Tastier Vegetables Just By Changing Light Falling On Them, No Gene-Edit Needed

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Gwyn D'Mello April 16, 2019

In order for farmers to make a decent profit on their crops, they need to have a reliable produce.

Of course, they only have limited land to work with, so limited number of plants need to have enough weightage of output. Unfortunately, that can result in tasteless produce.

Think of a simple vegetable (fruit?) like tomato. You might see two different varieties of it in your local market, where one is much larger but the smaller ones are tastier. That's due to something scientists called the "dilution effect", where there's an overlap between the compounds a plant requires to produce more or produce tastier fruit.

That's why you're more likely to see this happen with a large scale farm as opposed to when you grow tomatoes in your garden. But apparently, it doesn't have to be that way, at least according to researchers at MIT.

Scientists at the University's OpenAG group have been researching basil plants in particular, led by principal researcher Caleb Harper. They've been trying to change the various stress factors acting on basil plants to see how it changes the flavour. "If you took the same basil seed and you put in 50 different countries, you would have started with the same genetics but you would get 50 different flavors," he told Digital Trends.

The process behind tastier vegetables

What these researchers, in partnership with the University of Texas, found is that exposing basil to light 24 hours a day made them the most flavourful. The constant light produced more secondary metabolites. These are organic compounds the plants don't necessarily need to survive, but can help them keep away animals that eat them. And the presence of these are affected by everything from drought to the presence of certain insects, ultimately changing how the plants taste.

The researchers had no reason to believe 24-hour light exposure would make the basil tastier, they instead went with 18 hours to begin with. It was a custom-developed AI algorithm, developed by MIT and Cognizant, that analysed all the factors and made the suggestion. In fact, that same AI was originally used by the startup that developed it (before being acquired by Cognizant) for hedge fund trading.

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The basil was grown in hydroponic boxes, full of sensors and circuits, allowing the scientists to completely control everything from temperature, to humidity, to the light intensity and exposure.

But ultimately this experiment wasn't just about making industrial agriculture plants tastier. Using the AI, researchers can possibly even have the plants develop in other ways. For instance, Harper talks about his dream for "diabetes basil", grown in such a way that it's rich in proteins found to be helpful in treating the illness.

"That's kind of amazing that we could design flavor from climate," he said. "And now we're going to see can we design nutrition."

IMAGES COURTESY: MIT

How To Determine If LED Grow Lights Are A Good Investment

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Based on the benefits controlled environment growers are experiencing with LED grow lights, a return on investment (ROI) analysis could help you decide how quickly the payback would be for your operation.

As LED grow lights continue to become more affordable, an increasing number of greenhouse growers and vertical farmers are considering whether the lights would benefit their production systems. Add to this the testimonials of growers who have installed LEDs and the positive results they’ve gotten with commercial horticultural crops has caused more growers to look at the efficiencies these lights have to offer.

Comparing investment options

“The information on return on investment (ROI) for LED grow lights would have application to any type of equipment growers would be looking to purchase,” said Nathan Farner, president and CEO at North Ridge Solutions Inc. in Dallas, Texas, who is an adviser to Hort Americas. “Growers would be using a business case modeling approach to determine full project costs of various solutions and to understand what it takes to implement those solutions.

“Comparing the savings or increased revenue related to these investments would enable growers to say which option or scenario makes the most sense for their operations. Growers would compare their options and determine how long it would take to recoup their investment. Whether it is installing LED lights or some other capital infrastructure for a greenhouse, this ROI analysis would apply.”

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Farner said one of the advantages of determining the benefits of LED lights with a specific crop is growers should have an opportunity to see whether the lights provide the results desired.

“Growers who are seeking to prove the benefits of LED technology have the ability to do a portion of their operation to become comfortable with it and to validate the results before making a large capital expenditure,” he said. “Growers can conduct a trial in a fairly small area of their greenhouses to prove LEDs deliver the results they desire. After this testing it should be a relatively easy decision for most growers.”

Improved crops

Farner said when doing a business case analysis growers can look at the revenue side and the expense side.

“Looking at the revenue side for LED grow lights, this would include increased yields whether this is reducing the time to crop maturity of a crop like leafy greens or increasing the amount of produce from a long term crop like tomatoes and cucumbers,” he said. “There could also be increases in quality including size and/or number of fruit, taste and color. An example of this is red lettuce grown under LEDs, not only are there improvements in yields, but there is also an enhancement of the red pigment in the leaves. Growers who are able to increase crop yields and quality are able to continue to sell a consistent product at a consistent price year round.”

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Nathan Farner at North Ridge Solutions Inc. said looking at the benefits of LED grow lights from the revenue side would include increased yields whether this is reducing the time to crop maturity or increasing the amount of produce. Photos by Jessie Wood, State Fair of Texas

Farner said growers need to be sure they have a market for the increased product they are going to be able to produce by installing LEDs.

“In general that has not been an issue, especially considering the increased interest and demand for locally-grown food products,” he said. “LEDs are going to help improve the quality of the product and most customers are going to welcome that.

“If growers choose to quadruple the size of their greenhouse space carries a lot higher capital expenditure. In that case, the growers better be sure they have the market for the increased amount of product they are going to produce. Installing or replacing grow lights, that is less of a challenge to sell the additional amount of product based on my experience.”

Improved energy efficiency

Looking at the benefits of LEDs on the expense side Farner said this comes primarily from LEDs being more energy efficient than alternative lighting sources.

“On the expense side primarily what growers are looking at with LED lights is reducing their operating costs,” he said. “Comparing the electrical costs of other grow lights that aren’t as efficient, there should be a significant drop in electrical expenses by installing LEDs.

“When talking about the lighting model from an electrical perspective, it is more than just buying and installing the fixtures. Depending on the fixtures that are being installed, they may exceed the current power infrastructure for the electrical supply to the greenhouses. If this is the case, more electricity would be needed and would require an investment to increase the electrical infrastructure as well. Once growers understand their lighting plan and the electrical requirements for their facilities, they can determine their annual operating expenses.”

Identifying the best ROI

Farner said growers would need to work with commercial horticulture lighting suppliers like Hort Americas to develop a light plan for their operations. This plan would be based on a number of factors including the crops that will be grown, the light spectrum required for the plants, the amount of production space that will be lit, and the expected number of hours the lights would be operating.

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Comparing the electrical costs of less efficient grow lights to LEDs, there should be a significant drop in electrical expenses by installing LEDs.

“Once growers know the number of fixtures it becomes fairly straight math to figure the cost of the fixtures along with the installation costs to determine the capital investment required up front,” he said. “Other components that would have to be considered include maintenance requirements and parts replacement.”

Farner said regardless of the type of equipment purchased, growers should be able to earn back their investment in three to five years.

“The shorter that timeframe the decision becomes much easier,” he said. “Just like with other businesses, growers making capital investments should be looking at the ones that offer the best payback. Growers should always be looking for new equipment, systems or efficiencies that increase yield, drive revenue faster or lower costs so that margins are higher. Growers working to find different ways to build efficiencies and reduce costs for their overall operation should be looking for those that have the fastest payback. Based on my experiences of working with growers, LED lighting is one of those investments where they can get those types of returns more quickly.”

For more: Nathan Farner, North Ridge Solutions Inc., (214) 507-8594; nfarner@northridgesolutions.com.

This article is property of Hort Americas and was written by David Kuack, a freelance technical writer in Fort Worth, TX.

US: Utah - World’s First Commercial, Indoor Strawberry Farm Coming To Murray

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August 29, 2019 ● By Shaun Delliskave

By Shaun Delliskave s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com

It could be the world’s first private, commercial, vertical, indoor strawberry farm, and the Murray City Council approved it during their June 18 meeting. In a first for an urban Utah city, the City Council amended the Murray City Municipal Code to allow for indoor, vertical farming. 

This clears the way for Chihan Kim, a businessman whose holdings include a Sandy coffee shop, to develop what would be Utah’s first large-scale commercial, indoor, hydroponic farm in a vacant warehouse building located at 158 E. 4500 South.

“(I) will collect all the material to build the facility and…grow vegetables and some fruits, like strawberries, that will benefit from the omittance of herbicides,” Kim told the Murray City Planning Commission on May 2.

Vertical farming has become a buzzword in agriculture. The process includes producing food in vertically stacked layers, such as in a skyscraper, unused warehouse, or stacked shipping containers, with controlled-environment agriculture technology, where all environmental factors can be controlled. Such facilities utilize artificial light control, environmental control (humidity, temperature and gases) and fertigation. Some vertical farms use techniques similar to greenhouses, where natural sunlight can be augmented with artificial lighting and metal reflectors.

One of the most successful vertical farming operations is in Jackson, Wyoming. There, Vertical Harvest produces 100,000 pounds of vegetables a year on a plot 30 feet high by 150 feet long. Their 1/10th-of-an-acre site grows an annual amount of produce equivalent to 10 acres of traditional farmland. However, other ventures have failed.

Vertical farms are expensive to set up and take a long time to expand. Technology is changing at such a rapid pace that a newly opened competitor in the field could offer produce at a lower rate than an established producer. Still, indoor farming is appealing as a sustainable solution to growing food with little need for pesticides, water and land.

Before the code change, “Indoor Farming” was not listed as an allowable use in any zone in Murray City. For Kim to move forward with his zoning request, he needed to go through the extreme measure of having Murray change its code to allow for such a business.

This won’t be the first vertical, indoor farm in Utah, as an 11,000-square-foot facility sits on farmland in Charleston. Strong Vertical Garden supplies produce from that building to Smith’s grocery stores and microgreens to several chefs and restaurants in Utah.

The building that Kim intends to transform into an indoor farm is the former Electrical Wholesale Supply building. That building will allow Kim’s company, City Farm, to have 40,609 square feet for operations. LED lighting will be the primary source of light for the plants.

Murray City planning staff noted in their recommendation to the City Council that the indoor farm, “…will create the best opportunities to adaptively re-use and potentially revitalize older buildings and vacant spaces… (and) have the potential to place year-round access to fresh food closest to populations with limited transportation options, creating a positive impact on public health.”

“The main crops that we are considering at this moment are strawberries,” Kim said. Strawberries, he said, are one of the most contaminated fruits because of outdoor pesticides. This process will save them from harmful chemicals that get trapped in their seeds and pores and don’t all wash out with water.

“The farm operations will be maximum automation. Pollination—I am going to use drones. Drones will produce wind that will promote pollination. The farm will be open to the public with large windows. Strawberries will be supplied to grocery stores, but we will also make strawberry smoothies and food like that,” Kim said. 

Councilwoman Diane Turner stated, “I think it is a great idea. I am really pleased you are doing this in Murray.”

Lead photo: An example of vertical farming shows stacks of crops growing in an indoor building. (Photo courtesy Murray City)

Sustainable Living: Hydroponic Mobile Farms To Let Anyone Grow Vegetables In Hong Kong, Slashing Carbon Footprints

• Shops, restaurants, schools, and households could grow their own fresh produce, reducing need for imports, if mobile farming trial is successful

• Technology is the latest brainchild of team of University of Hong Kong MBAs behind urban farm that supplies restaurants vegetables and herbs grown without soil

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Kate Whitehead  

13 Aug, 2019

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Farmacy grows vegetables and herbs hydroponically in Causeway Bay, and is trialling mobile farms. Co-founder Raymond Mak talks about cutting Hong Kong’s carbon footprint and delivering fresh produce. Photo: Jonathan Wong

As a social movement gathers pace on the city streets this summer, there’s another growing revolution – a green movement.

This one is all about groundbreaking farming technology that cuts lengthy supply chains to allow easy access to fresh produce rich in nutrients and bursting with flavour.

Farmacy (farmacyhk.com), an urban farming technology company launched in January 2018, has been offering herbs, micro greens, and edible flowers to restaurants, hotels and home cooks. It will take things to the next level in a couple of weeks with the launch of its first “mobile farm”.

“That’s a farm that is so mobile it can be stored in your home, restaurant, school or supermarket. In the future, supermarkets won’t need to import vegetables, you can grow the vegetables fresh – lettuce, pak choi, choi sum, whatever,” says Raymond Mak, Farmacy’s CEO and co-founder.

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Farmacy grows vegetables and herbs hydroponically. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Using hydroponic technology, the greens will grow in-store so that consumers know exactly where their food is coming from – they can actually see their vegetables as they grow. The pilot mobile farm will be launched in mid-August at the organic convenience store JustGreen in Sai Kung.

“They want to first roll it out at the Sai Kung store because there’s more room and they have a good relationship with clients who are open to trying new things and are more demanding about sustainability and freshness,” says Mak.

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Customers will be able to order vegetables that can be harvested and delivered within minutes or hours, instead of the usual four-day minimum for imported goods. Photo: Jonathan Wong

We are in the firm’s hydroponics farm in Fashion Walk, Causeway Bay, a 200 sq ft space with two glass walls that allow the curious a peek at the herbs, micro greens, and edible flowers growing in their shallow blue tubs. There’s no air-conditioning in here – the plants like it warm – and just a fan to cool things down a bit if necessary. At 11am it’s time to turn on the lights and “wake up” the greens. “They need eight hours sleep, just like humans,” says Mak.

Hydroponic basically refers to the way that the plants absorb nutrients, which is through water instead of soil. Farmacy uses organic nutrients bought from the United States which has US Federal Drug Administration approval, and adds it to water. An advantage of indoor farming is that it’s very “clean” – there are none of the pesky insects and pests you get with soil and outdoors – and it also saves water.

“Compared with soil-based farming, where a lot of water is lost, goes underground, hydroponic farming saves 90 per cent more water,” says Mak.

Tastes like chicken? Why maggots might be the future of food

Hong Kong imports an astounding 98.3 per cent of its vegetables, with 70 per cent of the imports coming from China and 28 per cent flown in from around the world. All the emissions involved in getting our greens into Hong Kong is a massive black mark in terms of sustainability – and it’s also bad for our health. As soon as produce is harvested, the roots stop supplying water to the leaves and stem and the plant starts leaking goodness, with much of the nutrition going as the plant’s water evaporates.

“University of California studies show that vegetables can lose 15 to 55 per cent of vitamin C within a week and some spinach can lose 90 per cent of vitamin C within the first 24 hours after harvest,” says Mak, one of five University of Hong Kong MBA graduates who teamed up to found Farmacy.

The beauty of a mobile farm is the ability to buy your greens with the roots still intact, take the produce home and cut it up and cook it while it’s still super fresh and packed with goodness.

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Raymond Mak co-founded Farmacy with four other HKU MBA graduates. Photo: Jonathan Wong

He notes the irony of consumers forking out high prices at high-end supermarkets for organic goods from Italy and France when the long travel time seriously affects its nutritional value. The four days minimum it takes to get from farm to supermarket represents a huge loss of nutrients. Even produce from Yunnan in southwest China – where much of Hong Kong’s vegetables are grown – takes one to two days to reach Hong Kong, Mak says.

The longer it takes to transport produce, the more flavour it loses. Mak proposes an impromptu tasting session.

First, we try a purple flower, oxalis, which is super sour, then a yellow cucumber flower, followed by lime basil, and a nasturtium (known as Empress of India) which knocks our socks off with a powerful wasabi hit. Harvested just moments before we ingested them, the flavours are full of zing, so it’s easy to understand why Michelin-starred chefs want to get their hands on them. French restaurant Le Salon de Thé de Joël Robuchon was an early adopter.

University of California studies show that vegetables can lose 15 to 55 per cent of vitamin C within a week and some spinach can lose 90 per cent of vitamin C within the first 24 hours after harvestRaymond Mak, Farmacy’s CEO and co-founder

But Farmacy isn’t about just catering to celebrity chefs – it’s got a bigger mission in mind.

“We don’t want this to be a small, niche thing, we want it to be accessible to the public, to all citizens, we want to make it a movement,” says Mak.

The movement is taking hold elsewhere. In Germany, the Berlin-based Infarm (infarm.com), founded in 2013 by two brothers, has partnered with 25 major food retailers and deployed more than 200 in-store farms, and is harvesting 150,000-plus plants monthly. Farmshelf (farmshelf.com), started by Andrew Shearer in a San Francisco garage in 2015, is now leading the urban farming pack in the US.

Closer to home, the idea has taken root in Singapore. Earlier this year the city state announced its intention to have all the island state’s needs home-grown by 2030, including vegetables cultivated in climate-controlled greenhouses under special LED lighting to maximise yields.

“Singapore has quite aggressive targets. Hong Kong needs to catch up and we want to play a role in it,” says Mak.

The Farmacy team – nine staff, including the five founders – have been using the Causeway Bay operation for research and development and a base in Cyberport to develop the mobile farm technology. Beyond the hydroponic technology, Mak says the team is developing even more sustainable and efficient farming technology, but they’ve taken it slow the first year to develop their green thumbs.

“You have to understand the plants before moving to the technology, or else it has no soul,” he says.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: green movement to turn city slickers into farmers

Sustainable Living Health and wellness Veganism Food and agriculture Singapore Environment

Hong Kong environmental issues Technology

US: How LED Lights Help Grow The Microgreens In Philadelphia

Adam Green was pursuing a career in filmmaking when he realized his real passion was raising the finest microgreens for the world’s top chefs. Now, the 25-year-old directs AGreen Farms, an indoor hydroponic farm in Philadelphia that specializes in selling garnishes to restaurants and hospitality establishments. Of course, it’s not easy to make a mint while growing mint in the city, and that’s why Green is investing in LED horticulture lighting from Current, powered by GE, to produce herbs and edible flowers that make culinary pros go wild.

Seeds of Inspiration
At Drexel University, Green dabbled in business, cinema and screenwriting before finding that his true calling was not behind a camera but in a kitchen, sharing locally grown food with those who can appreciate the finer points of pea shoots.

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“I realized the thing that made me happiest was food―eating the highest-quality food, stopping at farmers markets, making connections with the farmers―it was really exciting to me,” he says. “Growing my own food and knowing where it came from attracted me to agriculture, and I felt I could put a sound business case behind it.”

Green soon found himself in New York City, working as a sales intern for Farm.One. The technology-powered urban vertical farm grows a diversity of special crops for local chefs and gave Green the confidence he needed to step out on his own.

“My job was to find customers and sell them the best products,” he recalls. “I developed a rapport with chefs, and it was incredible to see the emotional impact when you bring them an excellent product they can’t get elsewhere. It’s about more than garnishing a plate; these ingredients are what make a great pesto or add layers of flavor to a dish. That’s when I knew I wanted to bring the same experience to chefs in Philadelphia.”

Sprouting Upward
Green launched AGreen Farms in 2018 in a mixed-use building in Philadelphia’s Germantown neighborhood. The 5,000-square-foot operation includes 3,500 square feet of grow space dedicated to microgreens and edible flowers of all kinds, many of them rare to the region. Helping Green get his indoor farm off the ground was Hort Americas, a leading horticulture supply company. As the operation came together, the conversation turned to lighting arrangements that could allow the fledgling farm to flourish.

“Hort Americas and specifically our rep Kyle Barnett were just very passionate about what we were doing and helped us source all the equipment we needed,” says Green. “Not only selling us the right products but educating us on making the best decisions is what Kyle and his team brought to the table, and that made it easy for us to work with them.”

After hearing Green’s goals for the farm, Barnett created unique light plans for the operation and found that the Arize™ Lynk light was the perfect fit. The system provides different light spectrums to promote all stages of plant growth. Importantly, Current’s varied light recipes offer the ideal spectrum for the unique needs of AGreen’s crops.

“Most of our farm is growing microgreens under pink light that helps them thrive, and then we have flowers that respond well to a reproductive purple light,” Green says. “We are currently in the middle of testing our first round of crops, and I will definitely say that the lighting is my last concern right now. I recently delivered some product to a very discerning chef, and he looked at the clamshells and said, ‘These are beautiful.’ Our opinion is that LED was the right answer, absolutely.”

More than 1,400 Arize Lynk LED lamps were installed at AGreen Farms to cultivate everything from Swiss chard to celosia to cilantro. As Green explains, microgreens demand more care than most crops to produce consistently amazing results.

“When you’re growing garnishes, it’s all about the taste, texture and aesthetics to produce the high-quality products that these incredible chefs deserve. The lights have a positive impact on making things crunch more or turn a darker green, for instance, and that’s what you need to walk into a kitchen with confidence and show someone something they haven’t seen before.”

Sage Advice
Bill Green, a self-admitted serial entrepreneur, is Adam’s father and author of the book All In. In it, he offers practical advice for cracking the code of success in the business world, including to approach every challenge with genuine enthusiasm.

“Adam enjoys talking to chefs, and sales is clearly his sweet spot,” says Bill Green, who brings 40 years of executive counsel and guidance to AGreen Farms. “I thought the plan he set forth really made sense, because he’s not trying to build a giant to compete against the biggest names―he knows his niche and what certain chefs are looking for, and his passion to customize that experience is what will shape his business.”

For Adam Green, perfect pentas blooms are a mark he will never stop aiming for, but with help from Current and Hort Americas, this young grower has already hit the mark with LED lighting for his budding operation. Beyond vibrant, leafy crops, AGreen Farms will also benefit from the significant energy savings LED can deliver compared to conventional light sources. It all adds up to a tasty finishing touch at the finest restaurants in Philadelphia.

“Giving chefs the best tools in their arsenal is what we’re all about,” he says. “Based on our first year in business, I don’t expect a shortage of customers anytime soon.”

For more information:

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Current by GE

www.currentbyge.com

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Publication date: 8/6/2019